Fashion Week: Probably a Mistake
by Anibelli
Summary: In the Sequel to The Exchange, Marinette and Adrien find themselves in Fashion Week, but not the one they expected. Something is wrong with Gabriel's designs, and it's up to Adrien and Marinette to solve the mystery. Gabriel's attitude, however, may be too much for Marinette to handle. Still, Fashion Week has never been more entertaining.
1. Day One: Mystery

It was beautiful.

Ever since she had heard she was going to Fashion Week, Marinette had been dreaming of what the place would look like. She pictured the lights just bright enough to see the sheen on the band around a hat. She could almost see the neutral flooring and walls, not to distract from the masterpieces the models wore. She could feel the leather seat her rump would be set in weeks before it happened. She had picked out her outfits for each day before the month had even started.

It was better than she could ever have imagined.

She felt her hand slip into Adrien's palm next to her thigh. He squeezed her reassuringly, and her heart swelled.

The stage was elevated this year, chairs lining the sides neatly and orderly. The stage was black and even, making sure no model would fall from tripping. Sharp lights aimed above the stage for the model's walk. Certain lights had a purple filter before them to give the full room a bit of color. The chairs were nicer than normal, with a white linen cover over the seats. Marinette could feel the energy in the air, charged and ready for the first models to come out.

The first day's schedule included Gerald Kebler, Marius Girard, Albert Carpentier, Jade Figuier, Estelle Montiel and Harmonie Castex, the native, yet minor, French Designers. Marinette kept running her eyes over the schedule, feeling floaty and dazed. There was no way this was real.

Adrien squeezed her hand again. It _was_ real. Because of _him_.

She glanced around. Seats were starting to fill up, famous people from across the world beginning to find a place to sit. Marinette had already met a few actors and artists when they came over to greet famous ex-model Adrien Agreste. Many of them were more impressed with Marinette, however, which only added to the floaty feeling she was experiencing.

A glance to her left, a glance to her right, and the floaty feeling started to subside.

"Oh god, we picked awful seats," Marinette whispered fearfully. Adrien raised an eyebrow.

"Are you kidding me? These are some of the best seats in the house!"

"No, Adrien, you don't understand! I'm way too close to the stage! If I take one wrong step…" She mimicked an explosion with her hands, mouth making sound effects to match. Adrien rolled his eyes.

"Then don't take any wrong steps, okay?" He winked at her, and the floaty feeling returned.

"Okay," she said, her head feeling light and airy. Adrien turned back to the stage, and felt his phone buzz in his pocket.

He frowned. He had told everyone he knew not to contact him while he was at the Palais-Royal unless it was an emergency. He slipped his phone out of his pocket and checked it quickly, hoping it was just Nino trying to find the shoes he left at Adrien's apartment.

It wasn't Nino.

It was his father, and apparently he needed Adrien's help with something.

Adrien knew his father would be appearing on the last day, along with the other big names in fashion, including Chloe's mother, Audrey Bourgeois.

He asked his father where he was and why it was so important he interrupt Adrien and Marinette's experience.

His answer was in the form of a phone call.

He sighed, tapping Marinette's knee twice. She turned to him, frowning when she saw the name on his phone.

"Let _me_ talk to him," Marinette demanded. He smiled, remembering the last time she answered the phone when Gabriel called. The lack of restraint she had shown was oddly endearing.

"No, I'll take it. He probably wants me to introduce myself to another big name. I'll be back in a second." He swiped his phone, and put it to his ear, walking into a side hallway glumly.

"What is so important that you're ruining my date?"

"Adrien," it was Natalie, "I wish I didn't have to bother you, but your father is in a bit of a frenzy—"

As if on cue, Adrien heard a loud crash from the other end of the phone, followed by frantic yelling.

Natalie sighed. "I'm afraid he's going to pull his hair out. You must come at once,"

Adrien rolled his eyes. "I'm not coming to help him fire another intern, Natalie. You'll have to deal with him yourself. I have a show to attend, and a date to return to." He clicked _End Call_ and walked back into the room, turning his phone off and sliding it back into his pocket.

"What did he want?" Marinette asked, a bitter taste in her mouth. Adrien smiled lightly.

"Natalie wanted me to help with his tantrum. But I have more important things to attend to." He sat down and went to give her a kiss, but a finger came up to block him.

"In a room full of paparazzi? I don't think that's a wise idea," Marinette noted, nodding her chin toward the other side of the room. This year, Fashion Week divided the room in half; guests sat on the right side of the stage, paparazzi and reporters on the left. Marinette had asked Alya if she was attending, but she had sighed.

"No can do, bugaboo," she said, referencing Adrien's dumb nickname for Marinette, "I've got a large amount of paperwork to fill out from that beaver incident. My boss is sending someone else."

Marinette glanced around again. She saw Armelle Genin sitting next to Murielle Montgomery, and Roger Berlioz was chatting to Leonard Poulin. She took a deep breath. There were a lot of famous people here, but if she was able to manage her time wisely, one day her creations would be among the designs soon to be admired by said famous people.

The lights dimmed slightly, and Marinette jumped, hand finding Adrien's again. He gripped it tightly, and matched her surprised grin.

 _It was starting_.

Adrien whispered into her ear the first time the model wearing lingerie appeared.

"You'd look great in that," he murmured, lips brushing her ear. She had jumped and squeaked, the sound hidden by the clicking of the camera shutters. She managed to keep her redness to a minimum, but it returned the next time a model with lingerie appeared, and Adrien slid her a knowing glance. She managed to keep her face straight when he whispered into her ear again and again.

"Red's my favorite color on you, but I'd settle for seeing it at your feet."

"Black lace would look nice between my teeth, don't you agree?"

"I might just buy that pink one for you."

Marinette gathered her courage, and whispered back, "I might just let you take it off me, then,"

Adrien coughed out his laughs, trying not to disturb the other attendees, but his eyes danced with a mix of laughter and pride.

 _That's my girl_ , he thought, watching her take notes and sketches of the outfits as they sped by.

The first intermission occured, and Adrien made the horrid mistake of turning on his phone while Marinette introduced herself to another celebrity.

 _Gabriel Agreste_

56 Missed Calls

 _Natalie Sancoeur_

28 Missed Calls

 _Gabriel Agreste_

83 Messages

 _Natalie Sancoeur_

149 Messages

 _Chloe Bourgeois_

2 Messages

"Ah, shit," he thought aloud, opening his messages from Chloe. He hoped nothing had happened to her plans on Friday. Her mother was also appearing on Friday, and he knew her schedule was always changing. He just hoped Chloe would still show. Marinette had been wanting to see her for a while, ever since they went out to get coffee with Sabrina.

 _Tell my dearest Marinette to answer her phone_

 _I need advice on an outfit to impress my mom_

He let out a heavy breath, and texted back quickly, assuring her that he would let Marinette know she needed help. He shut his phone back off and slipped it into his pocket.

"Everything okay?" Marinette asked, her and the celebrity who's name he couldn't remember staring worriedly at him. He relaxed his features, smiling and nodded.

"Of course. Hi, I'm Adrien Agreste," he introduced, holding his hand out.

"Lila Rossi. Nice to meet you. Marinette here was telling me that you're separated from your father's company now, correct?" she asked. He nodded, finally placing the name. Lila Rossi was a highly respected actress from Italy.

"Yes, my father and I have parted ways now. Luckily, Marinette here fulfills all my clothing needs."

"I can see that! You're very talented, Marinette." Lila smiled. "I hope to see your designs on this stage someday."

"Trust me, when that happens," Adrien started, "I'll be first in line. Oh, Chloe texted you, something about clothing advice," Adrien tapped her pocket, and she nodded, grabbing it and reading over the text.

"Oh, this is long. I'll be back," Marinette called, running off to a more private area and pressing the phone to her ear. Adrien watched her go, turning back to Lila when Marinette was officially out of his sight.

She smiled patiently, and Adrien relaxed.

"How long have you two been together?" She asked.

"Almost 7 months now," Adrien told her, "we're starting to talk about moving in together, since her roommate is thinking about moving out."

"That's great. It's so nice to see a happy, healthy relationship in the middle of all the chaos that fame brings."

Adrien smiled at that.

"What about you, Lila? Anyone special in your life?" Adrien asked. She smiled sadly, but shook her head.

"No, not at this moment. Eventually, though, I'm hoping to find someone. Once my fame dies down… Probably how it happened for you, right?"

"Sorta, yeah. I don't think Marinette knew who I was at first, which felt really nice. I just wanted to be recognized as a person, you know?"

"I definitely get it," Lila sighed. "Marinette seems so down to earth… I want someone like that, someone who won't treat me like— like someone above others, I just want to be human…"

"You heard it here first, folks. Lila Rossi, famed Italian actress and daughter of Italian Representative, is looking for love!" A voice said behind them. Both celebrities whirled around.

 _Speaking of being treated above others_ , Adrien thought glumly as he put a false smile on for the camera. The reporter smiled widely as he shoved a microphone toward Adrien and Lila. Adrien glanced over and saw Lila put a similar false grin on her mouth, looking stunning but sort of pained.

"Tell us, what type of person are you looking for?" The reporter asked, taking a curious step forward. Lila opened her mouth, but the reporter took a step back in surprise. Adrien felt a hand land on his shoulder.

"Excuse me," Marinette said, frowning deeply at the camera. Adrien knew she had perfected her mother's disappointed scowl, and it had come in handy whenever they had an incident such as this. "But that is personal information. You have no right to be intruding on such a private conversation. Go find your drama somewhere else."

The reporter stuttered, and the cameraman grabbed his coat jacket and dragged him off. As they left, Adrien caught a whiff of a very pungent cologne, something he never wanted to smell again. The cameraman kept glancing back at Marinette, who stared them down until they were out of sight.

"Wow," Lila sighed. "That was incredible. You have to teach me that."

"Anytime," Marinette laughed. "Sorry, that was just a wardrobe malfunction. Everything should be set for Chloe later on, but I might stop by sometime this week to make sure."

"Marinette, you wouldn't happen to have time for a commision, would you?" Lila asked, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, I actually do. Looking for one?"

"Yeah, actually. I completely forgot about it until now, but I've seen your designs before and fell in love with them. Any chance you—" she was cut off by her phone buzzing urgently. She glanced down, and her face fell. "Place du Châtelet, 75003? Why would I… ah, right," she sighed, hand dropping in defeat. "I'm so sorry, but something just came up. I do apologize for leaving, but I hope to see you guys again this week! And maybe I can email you about the commision, Marinette—"

"No need! Here's my business card, and I'll just…" she pulled a pen out of her pocket and scrawled her phone number on the back. "Text me and we'll discuss it in more detail, okay?"

Lila broke into a relieved smile. "Thank you so much! Nice to meet you both!"

"You too!" Adrien called to her retreating form. He turned to his girlfriend, and she smiled at him.

"What'd you guys talk about?"

"Nothing too important," he slung his arm over her shoulder and she nestled into his side.

"Mmm. Nice job with the reporter."

"Thanks."

"I'm just happy you didn't beat him up."

"That guy was too pushy, alright? He was asking for it."

"You're lucky he didn't call the cops."

"Oh quiet," Marinette laughed. "I never even touched the guy."

"Yeah, 'cause I was holding you back."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I could've totally taken him."

"That's what I was worried about."

They fell into a comfortable silence, listening to the conversations around them. A woman near them was worried about tripping in her heels. A man told his friend that they need to go on a double date again. A larger man rambled to his sister about a single lotus flower that had caught his attention.

Things were okay, finally.

* * *

Marinette stretched out her legs, feeling them pop and move for the first time in a couple hours. She didn't realize how fast time had flown by until the audience was clapping and her pencil fell from her grip, finally still after another two hours of models passing by. Adrien turned to her, a tired smile playing with his lips. Marinette huffed out a laugh, grinning.

"I just went to Fashion Week Day One," Marinette said, voice tinged with disbelief. Adrien smiled wider, nodding.

"You did."

"I just went to Fashion Week Day One," she repeated. Adrien raised an eyebrow, face expressing his amusement. Marinette took a deep breath. "I am at Fashion Week," she started.

"You are."

"I sketched hundreds of outfits today,"

"Yep."

"And met a bunch of famous people with connections,"

"Mmhmm."

"And I got a commission from Lila Rossi, the famous Italian Actress."

"All correct," Adrien told her, pulling her hand to his lips. She tilted her head in fascination.

"And I went with my absolutely amazing boyfriend whom I love."

Adrien's lips stuttered, and he broke into a large, uncontrollable grin, lowering his head and pressing the back of her hand to his forehead instead of his lips. He chuckled, and she joined in quietly, feeling people file past them toward the exit. She slipped her hand from his forehead. He finally lifted his head, cheeks pink and teeth blinding.

"Ready to head out?" She asked, gathering her sketchbook and pencils into her bag. He nodded, rolling his shoulders as the last person flew through the exit, bustling quickly and loudly. Adrien glanced up, and raised his eyebrows. As the person turned toward them slightly, attempting to squeeze into the crowd leaving, Adrien saw his face. Pierre, his father's newest intern, pat a handkerchief to his damp forehead before squeezing out into the freezing Parisian air. This December was a harsh one, colder than normal with icy rain every other week. But Pierre only wore a light coat, sprinting to the left as soon as the cold air hit his face.

"Huh," Adrien frowned, leaning back on his heels to see where Pierre ran off to. He couldn't tell from his angle.

"What's up?" Marinette asked, pulling herself to her feet. He turned to her, and smiled.

"Nothing. Ready?" He offered her his arm, and she laughed, taking his hand instead and intertwining their fingers.

"Let's go," she said, pulling him forward through the narrow aisle of chairs. He followed her carefully, looking for any sign of a stray chair leg. She managed to make it through without tripping. They entered the cold air, feeling their cheeks tingle from the frosty wind. As they set down the street, Marinette felt her phone buzz. She pulled out her phone, and froze. Adrien was pulled back by her sudden stop. He turned, raising an eyebrow at her frozen posture.

"What, did you turn to ice?" He joked, before feeling his tongue fall flat when she turned her phone to him.

 _Gabriel Agreste_

Come now.

* * *

Adrien burst through the front door, not bothering to take his shoes off at the mat. With Marinette on his heels, they had hopped the fence, not bothering to wait for someone to let them in. If Gabriel had messaged Marinette, this was bigger than his pride, which meant a lot from him. Marinette stopped next to Adrien, breathing heavily. He shushed her.

"Excuse me for _breathing_ ," she whispered. He sent her a look, breathing just as heavily. They were silent as they crept through the house, set on full alert. Marinette spun in a circle, listening for any sound of life. Adrien peeked through an open door, pulling out even more confused.

Marinette approached a door, before reeling back in surprise when a loud crash scared her. She rushed forward, pushing the door open to see a room full of chaos. Adrien appeared next to her, face flushed, before yelling angrily.

Both Gabriel and Natalie were on their feet, holding two items—that shouldn't be used as weapons—like weapons. A candlestick and sketch book brandished before them, Gabriel stood straight, relaxing his arm. He kicked a broken piece of glass away from him.

"Finally. You're here. I knew having her number would be useful to me." Gabriel said, ungracefully dropping the sketchbook to the ground.

Marinette huffed. "You're both fine."

"I believe we had different definitions of the word 'fine', Marinette Dupain-Cheng." Gabriel sniffed indignantly, straightening his suit jacket. Adrien grit his teeth.

"Were you attacked?" He forced himself to say.

"Yes," Gabriel said immediately.

"No," Natalie sighed. Marinette slammed her fist against a wall.

"We were attacked!" Gabriel interejected.

"You're both standing and I see no blood stains on your clothing," Marinette gestured erratically.

"I'm assuming _you_ made this mess." Adrien crossed his arms, gaze aimed at Gabriel.

"Why yes, I did!" He snapped.

"You're a petulant child." Marinette rolled her eyes.

"Says the woman who dumped coffee on my pants 'accidentally'." Gabriel huffed. Adrien grabbed Marinette around the waist as she lunged down the stairs, heading straight for Gabriel's mussed up head.

"Natalie, please explain why this was worth our time or we're leaving." Adrien told her, pulling Marinette backwards. Marinette grunted, shrugging Adrien off and pacing the entrance like an angry predator. Gabriel watched her with a mix of fascination and terror.

"Gabriel's sketches and final designs for Fashion Week are missing," she told them.

"Oh, this is bullshit!" Marinette threw her hands into the air and went to walk out. Adrien grabbed her collar, hoisting her back into the room. She glared at him, resuming her pacing.

"Please tell me there's more to the story?" Adrien practically begged.

"Our security cameras show that the sketches were stolen last night. The designs were taken today."

Now Marinette stopped, turning her attention to Natalie. "Stolen?"

"Yes."

"Great." Adrien sighed. "Have you called the police?"

"Ha!" Gabriel laughed. "I am not allowing those heretics into my home!"

"Well, if you did, you'd already have your designs back," Marinette huffed, taking a step down the stairs. Gabriel and Natalie flinched, stepping backward. Adrien coughed out a laugh. Knowing his five foot three girlfriend scared his World Renowned Fashion Designer father brought him joy when nothing else could.

"I refuse," Gabriel managed to say firmly, still looking like a scared cat. Adrien rolled his eyes.

"So why are we here?"

"Yes, good question, Adrien. _Why are we here?_ " Marinette repeated, barely hiding her seething anger.

"I need Adrien to find out who was responsible." Gabriel said simply. Marinette and Adrien both went still, turning to face Gabriel. He looked between them.

They began to laugh. Hard.

"T-this isn't funny!" He shouted, barely audible over their boisterous laughing. "I require you to—!"

"Gabe, neither of us are qualified to find your stuff!" Marinette managed to say, wiping tears from her cheeks.

"I understand, but—!"

"Dad." Adrien said finally. Gabriel stilled. It had been a long time since Adrien had called him that. "We can't. I'm calling the police, because every second we wait, the more the trail goes cold."

"Well, at least tell us what time the stuff went missing?" Marinette sighed. Adrien looked over at her, raising an eyebrow. She shrugged. "What?"

"The camera tells us the sketches went missing at 3:37 this morning. The designs were taken around 11:42."

"Hmm…" Marinette said. "What's the address of this place?"

"Place du Châtelet, 75001?"

"Place du Châtelet, 75003? Ring a bell, Adrien?"

He thought for a moment. "Yes, but I can't remember from where."

"Lila left our conversation early, saying she had to go early. That was the address she said she was going, under her breath, remember?"

"Oh, right. Do you think… wait, look." He pointed across the room to a glass bowl. Inside the bowl was water, with a single lotus flower resting lightly in the water. Adrien walked over to it.

"What?"

"Today I heard a man talking about a single lotus flower, just like this one. Doesn't that seem odd to you?"

"Yeah, it's starting to…" Marinette trailed off, circling the room. She flipped over a sketchbook, and went to move on. Marinette froze. She looked back, and narrowed her eyes, picking something up. A strip of black lace.

Gabriel frowned. "That is the most hideous lace I've ever seen. Who would use that?"

"It's not yours?" Adrien asked. Gabriel shook his head, prying it from Marinette's hands and inspecting closer. Marinette gave it one more glance, before gasping and reaching for her bag.

"What is it?" Adrien asked, heading over. Marinette pulled out her sketchbook, flipping to the front few pages. Adrien saw the sketch on the page and started choking.

"What is that?" Gabriel asked, peering at the page.

"A-a sketch of a lingerie piece I saw and liked," Marinette didn't meet Gabriel's eyes, but Adrien could hear his own words from earlier: " _Black lace would look nice between my teeth, don't you agree?_ " Marinette continued, "And if you look close, I put down all the materials used. This," she pointed to the lace, "is one of them."

"Which designer?" Gabriel asked cooly.

"Albert Carpentier." Marinette tapped the page, deep in thought. Adrien looked back at the lotus flower, spinning it in the water. He approached the door, looking for any sign of entrance or exit.

"How'd they get in, Natalie?"

"According to the tape, they came in through the window."

"And you were robbed twice?" Marinette asked.

"Surprisingly, yes. And I am thoroughly offended." Gabriel sniffed.

"Why are you _offended_?"

"Don't they know I have one of the best security systems in the city? Why attempt to rob me?"

"It doesn't seem like it was an attempt," Adrien started.

"Yeah, and clearly it's not the best if someone managed to break in twice." Marinette rolled her eyes, scribbling on the page in her sketchbook.

Gabriel glared at her, before kicking another broken shard of ceramics and marching across the room to slump in a chair. Adrien had never seen his father slump, so this was certainly a sight to behold. He wasn't very good at it. He took the coat on the edge of the chair and wrapped it around himself like it was a security blanket and he was three years old.

Marinette went back to scribbling, Adrien inspected the windows for any sign of forced entry, and Natalie typed something on her tablet.

Gabriel sighed loudly, and the other three people in the room rolled their eyes. It wasn't often that Gabriel sunk to this level of pettiness, but when he did, it was extremely irritating for everyone involved.

"I can't believe someone would do something this horrid!" he exclaimed, sinking lower into the chair. "It's absolutely vile that they would ever consider crossing me. Mark my words, this demon spawn will pay, and I will make sure their life will be worse than the hell they crawled out of. But how could they do this to me? I've never done anything to them! This is completely unprecedented! No one has ever dared to rob me! I'll make sure they never try again. But this is so rude, and entirely uncalled for. Why would they do this to me? It's such a crime against humanity, this is! It's a crime against the _Gabriel_ Company! Who else would be able to run such a company? Certainly not Marc, or Marcel, though I suspect they both are attempting to overthrow me. Can you believe that? Overthrow me! This all is so outrageous I can't— _Eugh_ , what is that horrible _smell_?"

"I don't smell anything," Marinette said, sniffing the air. Adrien shook his head, confused.

"Ugh, it's this thing!" Gabriel exclaimed.

Marinette turned, watching Gabriel throw the jacket he had placed over his shoulders across the room. Adrien caught it, taking a sniff before recoiling.

"I know that smell," he said, wincing from the fumes. "Is this your jacket?"

"No! I thought it was yours!" Gabriel told him, tilting his head in confusion. Natalie looked up from her tablet. She walked over, inspecting the coat.

"Are you sure it's not yours, sir?"

"Yes! That color is not in season, and I doubt it ever will be again. Get rid of it at once!"

"Wait," Adrien said, stopping Natalie's hand. "I know this smell. That reporter was wearing the same cologne."

"Reporter? When did you—"

"We were at Fashion Week, Dad. There were dozens of reporters there."

"You're talking about the pushy one, right?" Marinette asked.

"Yes. He was covered in the stuff. Maybe this is his jacket?"

"Why would a reporter break into my house?"

"Dad, you know the answer to that question. They've done it before, they're bound to do it again."

"Okay, we have another suspect." Marinette scribbled that information down as well.

"Great. Let's keep looking, I guess."

They looked for a while, glancing around for something else they could use as evidence. Adrien sidled over to Marinette.

"You haven't called the Police yet," Marinette noted quietly. Adrien glanced over his shoulder, before turning to her and leaning down to her ear.

"Yeah. Figured it would be a waste of time and money. Plus, we wouldn't be able to enjoy Fashion Week anymore."

Marinette hummed in response, flipping over shards of ceramic and glass.

"Well, I guess there's that."

* * *

Gabriel sat by a blazing fire, staring into the hot flames. An orange glow illuminated the dark room, settling Gabriel's chaotic nerves ever so slightly. A single knock jolted his silence, and the door swung open, throwing electric lighting into the mix of orange flames. A shadow covered his frame, and he nodded once. Natalie cleared her throat.

"Pierre, the intern, hasn't returned yet, sir. Should I call him again?"

"When did he leave?"

"Yesterday, at midnight. He hasn't been seen by any receptionists at any of the buildings, and Marc Dubois had reported he hasn't visited his office in three days."

Gabriel stayed quiet and still.

"Sir?"

"Message Adrien with this information. I'm sure he will find it useful to his search."

"Of course, sir. Would you like some tea from the kitchens?"

"No, thank you. I will retire shortly. You are dismissed."

"Goodnight, sir."

"Goodnight."

The door closed, and Gabriel was alone again with the flames.

Surprisingly, his thoughts drifted to Marinette Dupain-Cheng. He knew the girl was hard working, dedicated, and good for his son. He also knew she resented him and his ways of raising Adrien. He wondered if he would ever be granted permission by her to meet her parents. He doubted he would, however. He knew she was irritated by him. He knew she was attempting to help Adrien through his trying times, though her methods were debatably effective. He knew it would be difficult to connect with her. He knew their personalities and beliefs would clash.

He smiled to himself. He wondered if he was even willing to try. He wondered if she was willing as well.

But he knew they would both try if Adrien asked.

* * *

 **Phew!**

 **This took a long time, sorry about that, but it's here! And there's a plot! YAY!**

 **I'm sorry about the wait, but I got a bunch of work these last few weeks, and I'm basically booked until school starts, when I'm booked again cause school. Yay.**

 **So I hope that I can get another chapter up soon, but it's very unlikely, so I guess let me know what you think! Encouragement to write is appreciated, as always. But actual thoughts of the story are appreciated more.**

 **Thank you for reading and please review!**

 **~Ani**


	2. Day Two: It's Ya Boy

Adrien slammed his head against his desk. Marinette jumped from across the room.

He had been staring at these notes for hours and still couldn't come up with any connection between them.

"Adrien, take a break," Marinette said again, sighing and tossing something onto his bed before coming up behind him. Her hands softly rested on his shoulders, and her chin landed on his head.

"No, this is starting to get to me," he muttered.

"Is this really all the evidence?" Marinette asked, her eyes scanning the table. Adrien grunted.

"This can't be all there is." Adrien gripped the table roughly.

Marinette fell silent, looking over the evidence. There was the coat, vacuum sealed in a bag, set next to the lotus flower in water. The black lace was in a ziplock, a sticky note with many question marks written on it. A notepad had an address written on it, with Lila's name under it. Under that had the name of Gabriel's intern and the time he went missing.

"I don't understand, there has to be more!" Adrien groaned, leaning back against Marinette's stomach. She ran her hands through his hair absentmindedly.  
"Hmmm… You watched the security tapes, right?"

Adrien froze. His eyes widened. He pushed his chair back, startling Marinette. She stumbled back, but he caught her, eyes sparkling. He kissed her passionately, hands cupping her face. He pulled back, breathless. Running across the room, he grabbed his coat.

"I'm so in love with you," he exhaled, a lovesick smile stuck on his face. Marinette raised an eyebrow as he took out the door, feet pounding down the empty apartment hallway.

"So I'm taking that as a no," she nodded to herself as she grabbed her jacket, following him down the hall as a reasonable pace.

* * *

The security tape had a clear view of the front yard. A dark clothed figure scaled the gate, crept to the side of the Agreste Manor, and scaled their way up the wall. The same thing happened in the second tape. Same dark clothes, same path. Gabriel had gone out for lunch during the second robbery, so no one was home to catch the thief, even if they were acting in broad daylight. Without a clear view of the person's face, Adrien could only assume, with the help of Marinette's designer eye, that the barrel chest, wide shoulders, and flat rear meant the person was a male. However, Marinette told him that it was easy to fake a flat chest and wide shoulders, and the person could be a female with a smaller rear. Adrien was stumped.

"Which one is more likely?" He asked. She shrugged.

"Both are likely. We have suspects, why don't we interrogate them?" Marinette asked.

"I'm not a cop?"

"Get a cop's help." She shrugged again. "I know someone at the station, and I bet you could get help, being 'Gabriel Agreste's son'."

"I don't want to go around flaunting that status."

"I don't want you to, either. But if you're seriously gonna do this, you need help. Let's just get the police involved before Gabriel has a chance to yell at us."

Adrien was quiet. "Okay."

"Great. I'll call him and let him know."

"Him, huh?" Adrien asked, raising an eyebrow as he leaned back in his chair. Marinette slowed, glancing at her boyfriend.

"Yes. My cop friend is a him. What about it?"

Adrien shrugged, sitting back up in his chair. "Nothing."

Marinette narrowed her eyes. "Oh. I see."

"See what?"

"Adrien."

"Yes?"

"Are you jealous of my _fifty-seven year old_ friend who happens to be a cop?"

Adrien felt his shoulders lift a little higher. "No. Of course not."

Marinette hummed. "Good." She grabbed her coat. "Let's go."

Adrien groaned, sliding out of his chair and shrugging on his jacket. Marinette helped him button up the front.

"You didn't have to run across town to get here, you know," Marinette told him. "The tape wasn't just going to disappear." He sighed.

"I know. I was excited."

"That you were," she chuckled. "Well, get more excited. Roger is energetic, even for almost being sixty."

"Great."

* * *

"Marinette!" The balding redhead boomed as she walked into the station. "Who did you get in a fight with today?"

"Surprisingly, no one!" Marinette said, tone light and refreshing. "I have a new partner in crime, who likes to keep me out of fights instead of in them."

"Alya's been replaced?" Roger furrowed his brow.

"Not replaced," Marinette chortled, "I just found someone who suits me better." She took a step to the side, and Adrien stepped forward. An easy smile on his face, he extended his hand.

"Adrien Agreste." He introduced. Roger shook his hand firmly.

"Good to meet you, Adrien. Lieutenant Roger Raincomprix. How can I help you two today?"

"You'll never believe it, Roger." Marinette said, stretching her arms into the air. Adrien flicked his eyes toward her before meeting Roger's. Roger winked.

"Ahem," Adrien cleared his throat awkwardly. "There's been a robbery at my Father's house. Unfortunately, he won't allow any of the police force onto the premises, so I'm forced to find the perpetrators alone. Unless you allow me to work with some of your men behind my father's back."

"You're right, Marinette." Roger barked a laugh. "I don't believe it. That Agreste security is top-of-the-line. How did someone break in?"

"They hopped the fence, and for some reason, the sensors didn't pick them up."

"We assume a malfunction," Adrien said, pulling out his phone and playing the tape for Roger. He furrowed his brow.

"Were there two robberies?"

"Yes, one in the late night and one midday. They seem to be the same single person each time, most likely a male. They stole Gabriel's designs and sketches for Fashion Week, he's presenting on Friday."

"Well, this is a predicament… Let me see… Ah!" Roger nodded thoughtfully. "I have someone to spare. I assume this won't get too messy?"

Marinette shrugged. "Adrien's getting better at holding me back, though sometimes I wish he wouldn't."

"Not worth it." Adrien sighed.

"Great, and— Oh fantastic! Coffee!" Roger laughed heartily, pushing past Adrien to greet the newcomer at the door. Marinette turned, eyes widening as Nathaniel appeared, dressed in a police uniform, holding a tray of coffees with the Busy Beans label on the cups.

"Marinette?" Nathaniel asked as a group of police officers attacked the tray, leaving it bare within seconds.

"Nathaniel! You work here now?" Marinette exclaimed, dragging him into a hug. He hugged her back, face a little confused. Adrien shook hands with him as soon as Marinette peeled herself away.

"I do. Sketch artist for witnesses, now. Graduated from making lattes." He said, fixing his uniform.

Marinette grinned. "That's awesome, Nath!"

"Thanks! So, what are you doing here?" He narrowed his eyes, leaning toward her. "Did you get in a fight again?"

Marinette fiddled with one of her pigtails, chuckling nervously. She remembered the last time she was harassed on the street. She had come into work with busted knuckles and a (not well covered) black eye. But, as she told her coworkers, "you should've seen the other guy!"

Her mother had instilled in her at a young age how to defend herself. Unfortunately, she sometimes had a difficult time discerning between "self-defense" and "starting a fight".

"No, no. It's not a fight this time. It was a robbery. Roger's getting someone to help us."

"Did you see who it was?"

"No, just the security tapes, their face wasn't visible. And Adrien's dad is being irritating, so we're trying to get help from official authorities instead of taking matters into our own hands like he wants us to."

Nathaniel rolled his eyes. "Well, it's a good thing you came. I doubt it would work out well for you if you attacked some random guy on the street and questioned him."

Adrien snorted, nodding in agreement. " _Thank_ you. Someone has common sense."

"What was stolen?" Nathaniel asked as they walked deeper into the police station. Marinette dodged a desk.

"Clothing and sketches for his project at Fashion Week." She blew a strand of hair from her face. Nathaniel winced.

"That's pretty bad. How many days does he have left?"

"His clothing is modelled Friday. We need to get it back before then." Adrien sighed.

"Hmmm," Nathaniel mused. "Well, since Gabriel's such a big name, I don't doubt you'll be getting the help of one of our best. Unfortunately, that's not a lot of time to work with…"

"We know. I knew we should've come here yesterday," Marinette grumbled.

"My dad would've had a hit man take us out if he knew we were headed here," Adrien reminded her. She grunted in response.

"Nathaniel," A dark head of hair warned, back turned toward them. "You better have my coffee."

"Three creams, one sugar, I have it." Nathaniel plopped the coffee down on the table and kissed the top of the person's head. Green eyes flashed toward the group, and the person blushed.

"Oh, hi." The man squeaked, sinking lower in his chair. Nathaniel chuckled.

"This is Marc Anciel. He writes reports and edits the other officer's who can't write very well. Marc, say hi."

"I said hi, Nath. It's…" Marc cleared his throat, forcing himself to stand up. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Nathaniel's boyfriend."

"Oh my god, I'm gonna scream!" Marinette squealed, rushing forward. "It's so great to finally meet you! Nathaniel's been talking about you for ages!"

"Marinette worked at Busy Beans with me," Nathaniel informed Marc. Marc's eyes widened in realization.

"Oh, you're Marinette! I remember Nathaniel telling me about how you met this guy and were flustered all the time whenever the phone rang. Wasn't there a time when—"

"She pushed me over to get to the phone? Yes. There was." Nathaniel grinned. She blushed, head sinking into her shoulders as Adrien roared with laughter behind her.

"Yeah. I forgot about that. Sorry again, Nath…"

"You pushed Nathaniel down to talk to me on the phone?" Adrien asked, coughing out the last bits of his laughter. She huffed.

"It wasn't even you on the phone."

"I didn't realize you loved talking on the phone so much."

"I don't— I mean I do like it— stop laughing!"

"I'm guessing this was the guy she was talking to?" Marc whispered to Nathaniel as Marinette hit the blonde on the shoulder repeatedly.

"Yep.

"Hmm. He's cute."

"They're both cute."

"They're cute together."

"Oh, _very_."

"Mme. Dupain-Cheng?" Roger called from another room. She turned, hand frozen on the way to Adrien's chest.

"Oh, shit. C'mon, Adrien." She grabbed his hand. "Nice meeting you, Marc! Good to see you, Nath!"

"Uh, bye guys!" Adrien called as he was dragged around the corner.

"I'd plan their wedding."

"I'd _pay_ to plan their wedding."

Roger explained that their new "cop buddy" would be over soon, he was just finishing writing his latest report.

"Feel free to help yourself to our," he lowered his voice, "really _crappy_ coffee machine I wouldn't recommend it but it's polite so I have to..." Roger cleared his throat.

"Anyways, I must be off. Another robbery at La Rue Carapace, some old lady's cat toys or something. I hope I don't see you later, Mme. Dupain-Cheng, because that most likely means you got into another fight."

Marinette laughed. "Bye, Roger. Good luck with the old lady."

He tipped his hat and left the room, a couple police officers following behind him. Adrien collapsed into the nearest waiting chair. Marinette sat next to him, hand resting lightly on his.

"Mmhmm… Yes, Natalie. Tell him we're working on it…" Adrien scrubbed a hand over his face. He nodded, tired. "Of course, Natalie. We will… No, of course not... Okay. Bye."

The phone tumbled into his lap.

"He's the worst."

"What now?" Marinette winced sympathetically.

"I don't know. Just: 'Make sure you're reading into all these suspects histories, any finite detail may be important. The back door was ajar, we're not sure if that's from the wind or someone leaving through it. It could be a demon cat trying to get into the warmth but I suspect it was a bodyguard.' Does he even know how to breath?" Adrien's hands flopped uselessly at his sides.

"I don't think so. That would make him a living, breathing person, and his heart is too dead for that."

Adrien shot her a look, before cracking a small smile.

Someone cleared their throat behind her.

Marinette turned. The officer standing there looked _really_ familiar. Especially his blue-tipped hair.

"Hi, I'm Officer Couffaine. You two are the representatives from Gabriel Agreste?"

"Representatives is a strong word," Marinette shrugged. "This is his son and I'm his biggest hater."

"Hmm. Let's go to the scene of the crime and you two can explain what happened on the way."

"Sounds good, Officer," Adrien offered him a smile, extending his hand. "I'm Adrien, by the way. This is Marinette."

"Call me Luka, please. I have a feeling we're about to get to know each other a lot better."

Marinette hummed in response, lightly shaking Luka's hand. _Why did everything about him seem so familiar?_

Adrien led the three of them out the door and down the street. "A man or woman broke into my father's house at 3:37 am. They stole my father's sketches for his Fashion Week Presentation. Then, at 11:40 something—"

"42," Marinette reminded.

"Yes, 11:42 am, the same person came back the exact same way and stole the physical designs."

"His father's assistant noticed they were missing around 1 or so," Marinette added.

"And did you guys find anything suspicious?"

"I have all the evidence we collected back at my apartment. Unfortunately, he's not very keen on me using the authorities help with this one… Actually, he doesn't know. He just expected me to solve the crime alone."

"Huh. High expectations. Do you have a degree in Criminal Justice?"

"I don't have a degree in anything. Never got the chance to go to school."

"Wow. And he just expects—?"

"Yep."

"Man, that sucks. It's a good thing you came to us, though. If you ended up going after the thief, you could've gotten in trouble or hurt…"

"Don't worry, Adrien. I would've protected you." Marinette said, cracking her knuckles. He rolled his eyes.

"And hurt yourself in the process."

"All part of the job." She winked at him.

* * *

Gabriel was walking from his dining room to his office when he heard his front door swing open. He turned, wondering who it could possibly be.

"... and I remembered hearing a man at Fashion Week mention there was a single lotus flower that caught his attention." Adrien finished as he led Marinette Dupain-Cheng and an unknown man into Gabriel's home. Gabriel straightened as Natalie walked from her office. She gasped.

"Adrien?" she wondered aloud. "How did you get in?"

"The front door? I have a key."

"Yes, but you always ring the bell and—"

"Adrien, introduce our guests." Gabriel instructed, cutting off his confused assistant. Marinette scoffed, turning away and crossing her arms.

"This is Officer Luka Couffaine," Adrien said, watching his father's face closely.

 _Common name_ , Gabriel thought. _Family doesn't have much money... Could easily be bribed..._

"He is going to help us with the missing designs and sketches," Marinette snapped at Gabriel's twisting mouth, "since you set such an impossible task for us."

"Get out."

"Excuse me?" Marinette spun around, facing Gabriel for the first time since she entered the manor.

"Leave the premises. I must speak to Adrien alone. That means you too, young man. Leave at once."

"You foul—" Marinette started, attempting to march forward. Adrien lunged forward, wrapping his arms around her waist as Bodyguards from each door either side of Gabriel burst into the hall. Officer Couffaine stepped back slightly, and Gabriel watched his hand drift to his taser.

"Adrien!" Marinette struggled, attempting to escape his grasp. "Let me go!"

"Luka, do you mind taking her outside?" Adrien managed to say, dodging a rogue elbow as it flew toward his face. Officer Couffaine glanced at the guards. "They won't hurt me. Most of them were hired to protect me from rogue fans when I was younger. They're mostly here for… her, now. Just—Marinette!" Adrien grunted, spinning around and shoving her into Officer Couffaine's arms, before ushering them out the door.

As soon as the door closed, Gabriel rushed forward and grabbed Adrien by the shoulders. Pulling him close, Gabriel barely processed that his son was taller than him.

"I told you not to get the authorities involved! And what do you do?" Gabriel snarled.

"I got the authorities involved," Adrien answered tiredly.

"Why would you do that?"

"Because it's basically illegal for me to go hunting down criminals without a badge."

"I would've gotten you a badge."

"Not a real one."

"Yes, a real one."

"I wouldn't have earned it, then."

"Adrien!"

"Father!" Adrien cracked a smile a bit.

Gabriel groaned, peeling his hands off his son's shoulder and storming away. Adrien threw up his hands.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Anything but this!" Gabriel threw his hand toward the window. "And of all the officers to _bring_!"

Adrien furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

"Look at him!"

Adrien's jaw dropped. "Dad, that's so rude—"

"No, Adrien!" He grabbed his son's shoulders again and faced him toward the window. "Look at him and _watch what he's doing_!"

Adrien opened his mouth to reply, but his jaw went slack when he realized what his father meant. Marinette was chatting with Luka casually. He watched as Marinette blushed and fiddled with her pigtails. Luka laughed, and Marinette joined in. Luka said something else, and Marinette froze, blushing intensely, before hiding her face in her hands.

"You just had to bring the bad-boy officer, Adrien. He's clearly interested in her, and Marinette doesn't know it yet, but she has a type. It's him. You brought your own worst enemy to our home, and now he's taking Marinette's attention!"

"D-don't try to turn this on him!" Adrien sputtered, pulling away from his father and the window. "You're the one who told them to leave the house to speak with me alone!"

"Yes! To warn you of the dangers that come with working with him!"

"No, to yell at me for bringing a cop here!"

Gabriel tossed his hands into the air. "I'm trying to help you, Adrien."

"But you're not letting me help you. We need a police officer with us to solve the case. Your insolence is holding us back."

Gabriel didn't answer, glancing back between his son and the window.

"Fine." Gabriel sniffed, straightening his jacket. "I'll be in my office. Get this officer in and out of here as quickly as possible. And watch Marinette around him. You'd be surprised, Adrien, about how right I am."

Gabriel strode into his office and slammed the door. Adrien turned back to the window, frowning deeply.

"Oh." Marinette managed to say, a heavy blush on her face. "That's… that makes sense. At Busy Beans. You—"

"Gave you my number? Yeah, I did. Of course, I didn't realize you had a boyfriend at the time, but—"

"Oh, I uh… I didn't. Adrien and I were just friends at the time, but… Yeah. Sorry I never called you. I was sorta hung up on him at the moment and forgot about it."

Luka shrugged. "Don't worry. I'm not upset in the least. I realized after that I, uh, accidentally gave you my sister's number instead of my own. So I guess it's good you never called."

"Oh. Wow, I guess so. That would've been awkward."

"Even more, considering you worked with her," Luka laughed.

"Wait…" Marinette's eyes widened, "I knew that last name sounded familiar. Juleka, right?"

"Yep."

"Oof. How is she doing? I haven't seen her in a while…"

"Great, actually. She and Rose are thinking about moving to the country."

Marinette sighed. "That's sweet. I'm so happy they're still going strong. I miss both of them."

"Me too. I've been pretty busy with work, haven't seen them in a bit," Luka said.

"I should call her sometime…"

"She'd like that."

Luka glanced back at the Agreste Manor.

"You really hate Gabriel, huh?"

Marinette's mood soured immediately. "He's an emotionally and mentally abusive asshole. I've never hated anyone more, and I went to school with Chloe Bourgeois."

"Wow, that's a lot of hatred."

"You saw how he acted. He shunned us immediately and went to reprimand his son. I hate leaving Adrien alone in there. I never know what Gabe is gonna say, or how Adrien is going to react to it…"

"He had a tough time with him?"

"Adrien had a tough life living with that douchebag."

"Ah."

They fell into a silence, which was broken soon after by the sound of a doorknob turning.

"You guys ready?" The front door swung open and Adrien appeared, a heavy frown on his face. "My dad stopped freaking out, finally. He'll leave us alone as we check out everything inside."

"Great." Luka clapped his hands together and strode forward. "Let's get to work."

Marinette followed, glancing at Adrien. The frown didn't disappear, but now it was trained on Luka instead of the ground.

"Adrien?" Marinette asked softly. "Are you alright? I didn't accidentally punch you before, did I?"

"No, no. You know I can dodge you pretty well."

"Was it Gabe?" Marinette asked. Adrien shrugged.

"Not really. He's just paranoid about bringing people we don't know well into something like this. He immediately suspected Luka. I shut that down quickly enough."

"Mmm," Marinette hummed, inspecting Adrien's face. She was getting good at reading him, but this was new. Emotions were constantly changing with Adrien, since he was so sensitive. But Gabriel Agreste always put him in a bad mood. And Adrien was getting good at lying.

"You go with Luka. I'm gonna go to the bathroom quick." She kissed his cheek, heading off in the direction of Adrien's old room.

It was the same as when he was younger, he had told her; decorated with rock climbing walls and a foosball table and a TV bigger than her bed. It was still as brightly colored and filled with DVD's as before. The large computer monitors were there. So was the skateboard ramps. And the basketball hoops. And the vintage arcade games. Yet she still felt the loneliness, the emptiness. The prison he was contained to his entire life. She felt the anguish every time she entered the room. She hated it.

Of course, there were some happy points in the jail cell. Adrien's DVD wall had small patches of barren landscape where he had taken his favorite movies, shows, and animes to his new apartment. His monitors, when turned on, unveiled Adrien as a child with his mother. His closet was full of Gabriel's best and newest clothing items from every new season, but hidden all the way in the back were his favorite clothes; items he could only wear around the house but no longer fit him, so he kept them back there. She checked and giggled. A Naruto hoodie sat in the back, blanketed by a green _Gabriel_ coat. She checked the tag, and inhaled sharply.

 _It would fit her._

Marinette had never been the "stealing hoodies" type of girlfriend, but she was about to become one. She shrugged off her jacket and pulled the hoodie over her shoulders, basking in its warmth. It even smelled a bit like Adrien still.

Now she understood why girls loved the hoodies their boyfriends wore. It was like a portable hug from Adrien himself. Also, she knew Gabriel would hate seeing her in Anime Merchandise.

Her suspicions were confirmed when she opened the door to his office without knocking, and saw Gabriel's scowl deepen even more at the sight of her.

"Did your parents ever teach you to knock?"

"Only to people who deserved that type of respect." Marinette said simply, slouching in his office chair. He watched her, and she saw his hand twitch at his side. She smirked slightly.

"How's the ol' business going, Gabe?"

"Don't call me that."

"Treat Adrien and me with the respect we deserve and maybe I'll stop," Marinette shrugged. Gabriel straightened angrily. "Is everything a bargain with you?"

"Maybe if you were a better human being, Dormammu, it wouldn't be."

" _What_ did you call me?"

"Nevermind," Marinette rolled her eyes. _No one understands her references_. "How about you tell me what made Adrien so upset? Specifically, what you _said_ to him."

Gabriel didn't answer.

"I'm sick of your shit, Gabe. Why is he upset?"

"Maybe I'm not the culprit this time," Gabriel said stiffly. She narrowed her eyes.

"I didn't ask for a cryptic answer. Just…" she spun in his chair. "What did you say to him?"

"I informed him that he should not disrespect me again."

"Oh yeah? How did he disrespect you?"

"Is this an interrogation?" Gabriel asked.

"I can make it one if you don't cooperate."

Gabriel glanced at her. "How so?"

"There is a cop here. I don't think he'd care if we needed to interrogate you for information. You didn't really treat him with the respect a guest deserves."

"He would do it if you asked?"

"Like I said, you were sorta an ass to him. I doubt he'd care," Marinette rolled her eyes.

"What if Adrien asked?"

"He'd probably be just as willing? But we know Adrien won't go against your will, you brainwashed him long ago. So tell me, what else did you say to Adrien? Why did he look so sad when he opened the door, Gabriel?"

"Like I said, it wasn't me."

"Bullshit."

"Think about it, Marinette. Watch Luka. Watch yourself."

"Is that a threat?"

"A warning. Adrien is sensitive, like his mother. You don't know what your doing yet, but soon it will be clear."

And with that, Gabriel left the room. Marinette huffed, kicking her feet down from his desk and straightening her new hoodie. Naruto's face bunched up on her chest, and she felt pity. He didn't deserve a face full of wrinkles. And Gabriel didn't deserve to have Adrien as a son, but there they were.

She walked out into the main hall, to see Luka and Adrien intensely staring at Adrien's phone. At the sound of the door closing, they both looked up.

"What were you doing in there?"

"Making a mess," she stretched her arms above her head, and both men's eyes flicked to her hoodie.

"Wha-where did you get that?" Adrien blinked.

"Secret. Are we all set? I need to get out of here before I go insane."

"Yeah, actually. You guys did a good job finding evidence yesterday. We actually have a couple suspects based on your recollection and pictures. I think we can actually solve this by Friday," Luka said, swiping through more pictures on Adrien's phone. Marinette winked at Adrien.

"This is gonna work out, see?"

Adrien gave her a soft smile, "I hope so."

* * *

 **A SOFT SMILE FROM OUR SOFT BOI**

 **Hi, yes, hello, I am alive. Sorry for the long wait, but August was one of the busiest months I've ever had, but now school has started, I passed my driving test, and am ready to rumble!**

 **This chapter sorta jumped around, so just let me know if it's difficult to follow and I'll revise it the best I can.**

 **Please tell me someone got the Dormammu reference I need it in my soullllll**

 **Idk what else to say except that I really don't like the name of this story and probably will change it soon**

 **OKAY BYE I LOVE YOU LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT THANKS BYE**

 **~Ani**


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